Welcome to Litsy!

Thanks to @BennettBookworm and @ChaoticMissAdventures I‘ve made my list for #10BeforetheEnd and I‘m so excited! Really, it‘s the act of list-making that gives me this boost of confidence, like just by committing them to paper I‘m *almost* finished reading these 10 books already. 😋 Six are for book clubs taking place at my bookstore, so I‘d better get on that! Enjoy your lists, everyone!

Shearwater Island is permeated by ghosts and spirits-ghosts of the animals who were massacred there in the 19th century, the howl and unforgiving brutality of the winds, the flickering ghost lights, the perpetual twilight, the whispers of the dead…

#Creepy

#HauntsAndHexes #Read2025 #Bookspinbingo #LitsyAtoZ

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @DieAReader @TheAromaofBooks @Texreader

I love Charlotte McConaghy‘s books. The climate disaster the human relationships and the subtle romances are always so amazing.

Wow! What a ride this one turned out to be! I‘ve read one of her books before so I was expecting the climate change angle. But not the suspense that had my heart racing at the end! Great storyline, great characters, great everything. A clever way to shine a light on whet the ramifications of climate change could mean for all of us

I love a good multiple POV novel with a bit of mystery to be solved. The plot moves at a great clip,I liked the seed bank/ southern seas as a setting. Though I don‘t think every part is believable and/or needed to go that direction, that fact that I didn‘t stop reading quickly and/or became upset means that through the writing, I became invested in each character- whether I liked them or not. Good book!

Yes, I loved every page of Charlotte McConaghy‘s brilliant new novel. You will, too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️an absolutely haunting read!!! Beautifully done with deeply felt characters, even the island was a character. This writing took me straight there where I could feel the wind, smell the sea and hear the life all around me.

I can‘t believe it‘s almost October!!
Also noticing an interesting water/ocean theme 🤔 and I wonder what will ultimately go up against The Wedding People!
#readingbracket #readingbracket2025

Just couldn‘t get into this

This book is breathtaking. The writing is exquisite. SO worth the many months I waited for a library copy. The mystery/thriller element was entertaining, and there were enough twists that I was surprised by everything. But it was the nature writing that moved me so much, both vibrant and quiet. And the steady love Dominic had for his children, even though he wasn‘t very confident in his parenting. Hands-down my favorite book of the year so far.

Words cannot describe how incredible this is. Believe the hype!! I‘m glad I knew practically nothing going into it, so I won‘t say too much, only that by the end it wrecked me in the best possible way.
Gorgeous writing—in style, plot, and language—and something that will stick with me for a long time.
Cinematic storytelling… I know this will be turned into a brilliant, star-studded film… and I won‘t want to see it because the book is too good 😭😄

This book was ambitious in many ways-plot, setting and characters. Beautifully written and despite a dire situation this traumatized family and the stranger that washed on shore discovered by loving all living things you can learn how to better love your own family. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m so excited to finally be starting this, especially going into the weekend!

I had to wait for a library copy for-e-ver. I have high hopes!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

This book is light suspense × The Scent Keeper (Erica Bauermeister)

I liked it, nothing is what it seems.

The end was a thrill; I woke up last night and had to listen thru the climax. I appreciated the structure in that it‘s not linear and the backstory slowly reveals itself. That‘s always the best way to build suspense & interest. 😄

I have to say, it was a pretty great set of books this month. Railway Man was the only acceptation, I was about 20 pages from the end and realized I‘ve read this before or I‘ve seen this documentary. So it was a little bit of a let down….

Lent to me by a friend , I finished this a few days ago. Needed time to think about it. It‘s set on an island and it lead me along and kept me reading with clues to something that had happened. A cast of characters , a family of dad and 3 kids and a mysterious young woman washed up. In the end I had to speed read , the suspense was getting at me and I needed to know the end. Her previous book recommended many time by friends , might give it a go.

This now my favorite read of the year. The writing, the descriptions, the characters, the suspense, the mystery, the love. It has it all. Set on a remote island near Antarctica that has a scientific base, Dom and his three kids find a woman‘s body just before they know that all need to leave the island. So good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We do have our #CampLitsy25 winner! A majority voted for this fantastic book and I couldn‘t agree more 😉. Woodworking ended on a second place, Tilt ended third.

Helen, Meg and I have enjoyed Camp again so much and want to thank you all for reading and discussing six great books with us. We have loved your thoughts, stories, reviews, insights, puns, etc.

We‘ll be back!

19-22 Aug 25 (audiobook)
A father and his three children have only a handful of weeks left on the isolated island where they have lived the past eight years when a shipwrecked woman is washed ashore. All parties have secrets and McConaghy does a good job of building tension as their departure draws nearer. Another to add to the remote island collection. A popular trope it would seem.

It is really fucking sad that it should take loss to know the precise quality of love 🐋🦭🌊

3✨ This was the last book I was able to read in July. I wasn‘t a fan at the beginning, and just couldn‘t focus on the different POVs with who was who. I enjoyed many of the animal scenes, and by the end I was understanding what was happening. I appreciated the discussions from #Camplitsy25 which helped me to figure out the roles of the different characters and finish this book. Honestly, since I started work that was more my issue than the book.

This author is magic. I love all of her books. This one did not disappoint. She might be an autobuy for me. I don't actually buy many books so that's how much I love her.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This book was chosen for my book club last month and as usual I waited too late to start it and spent the weekend madly trying to get it read. Luckily it was very easy to dedicate myself to it because it sucked me in and propelled me through to the very last page. Our book club‘s analysis revealed its many flaws, but overall, a great #ozfiction read 👏📖❤️.

I‘m halfway. This is brilliant, and so very sad. I‘m loving it and it‘s killing me too. A great island setting for these wounded people , this wounded earth. ❤️

110/100🎧📖
#wilddarkshore #charlottemcconaghy #ebook #audiobook #goodreads #goodreadsreadingchallenge

Oh my, I cannot put into words the power of this book.
I've read her other two, both excellent, especially Migration. This went up another level.
Told by the inhabitants of the island, the family plus the woman, the truth is partially and carefully revealed in stages.
But with vast emotions and pulls at heartstrings and reminds us of the fragility of the environment, biodiversity and human life.
And it pulls as far as it can. Brilliant.

4.5/5 - very very good! a great mystery unfolding in a very unique setting. didn‘t love the ending but still very good!

Loved this.

This book was gloomy, until it was just sad. 3.5⭐️

Of the books chosen for #CampLitsy25, this was the one that most interested me, but summer reading time & library holds meant I just got to it. The setting & atmosphere were fantastic. I wished as the story progressed that the characters would have communicated more, but along with the ending, it seems more realistic to the story that they did not. I enjoyed the multi-voice perspective & how Rowan helped the family move forward. #audiobook

Best book I have read this year! 5 🌟
Charlotte McConaghy is an author who just works for me. This is fast-paced for a literary fiction novel. I love how she reveals more and more about her characters as the plot unfolds. This book made me ugly cry. Highly recommend!

Through beautiful, engaging prose and a unique and striking setting, McConaghy tells a story that's both bleak and hopeful. As with her other recent novels, she addresses the reality of climate change while offering a way to keep our hope and humanity in the face of a changing world. I enjoyed this one quite a lot.

Photo: Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

Audiowalking with the tagged while my younger kid is at tuba lesson. In addition to tons of students and parents at the university for orientation (is it seriously that time already?), I met up with this male monarch enjoying a snack. My external environment was quite different than the one in my ears.

Finally!! Took forever on that library hold. 😍

5 Stars • Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is a tense, emotional novel set on a stormy, fictional Antarctic island. Dominic Salt and his three kids—Raff, Fen, and Orly—run a massive seed bank but are set to evacuate as climate change ravages their home. A mysterious woman, Rowan, washes ashore, shaking up their isolated world. ⬇️

I really liked this story. There was enough mystery to keep me interested and it was a unique story. The author in her note said she wanted Shearwater to feel like it‘s own character and she definitely accomlpished that. I do feel like the ending didn‘t get the emotion out of me that it probably should have. Still it a really great book start to finish!

I was late to the game in reading this for #camplitsy but I started and finished this today. I loved it. I need some time to reflect before posting my full review but for now, I‘ll just say it will be a top one for me

This was me reading by candlelight last night when a storm rolled through here and knocked the power out. Finally got power back about an hour ago!

I bailed on The Doorman at 187 pages. I hate bailing that far in but i just couldn‘t get into it. So instead i finally finished Water Moon and now I‘m starting this one.

We have a winner!

Our first winner for #camplitsy25, somewhat predictably 😝, is Wild Dark Shore!

Audition did get 7 votes though, against 34 for WDS, and many Littens commented on how valuable the discussions around Audition were - I know they helped me to understand it a lot more, so thank you!

WDS will go forward to our final vote at the end of camp in August - I wonder which two books it will go up against?!

My favorite book this month was Wild Dark Shore 🧡
#BookBracket2025 @Catsandbooks

I only got to four books for June. My favorite was Wild Dark Shore.

I loved this book. Rowan washes up on Shearwater Island and is rescued by Dom and his family. There are tons of secrets, missing scientists, whales, a dying seed bank, and a family collapsing. This was written in an almost eco dystopian way as a reminder of how bad global warming is getting and how potentially screwed we are 🧡
#CampLitsy25 @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB #Pantone2025 #thunderstorm @Lauredhel #WickedWords #beach @AsYouWish

June was a good month for reading, thanks to a mostly restful vacation where I finished 7 of these 11 books. I tagged my favorite of the month. Stats:

7 for #Greenland #foodandlit (1 doing double duty with #authoramonth)
3 for #serieslove (double duty with #foodandlit)
2 for #authoramonth (plus 1 finished in May)
2 for #campLitsy
1 for #klbr

@Catsandbooks @TheSpineView @Andrew65 @Soubhiville @BarbaraJean @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks

The icy waters near Antarctica helped to beat the summer heat. McConaghy used all of our senses to create a stunning world, which added to the suspense of the story. This was my first book of McConagy and I was impressed with how she weaved the climate crisis into the plot. Thank you @squirrelbrain for the wonderful discussion. #CampLitsy25 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

#WeeklyFavorites

Read with the #CampLitsy25 group, I really enjoyed this one.

F*** this book and 1000 curses on everyone who voted for it so I had to read it. When I stop sobbing, I‘ll go back to the discussion questions I‘ve missed yesterday and last week, but ugh. It‘s riveting, with complex characters you can‘t help but care for deeply, so well-written, even with multiple POVs, and heartbreaking. Absolutely devastating. I hate you all (not really, but kind of) #camplitsy25

I don‘t usually give credit to short chapters nor consider the multiple POV of a story but #CampLitsy25 discussion has me grappling to explain what worked for me in this story. I do believe it was excellent craft of setting the tension, layering the mystery, being inside each character‘s fears and my questions of why on their actions. Perhaps pacing was perfect due to my only having many short time spans to read it, thus off time ⬇️